Checkmater
It’s just us kittens left, and the rain is coming
approved by kamikaze and Arcticblast
If you're stuck on where to go next when building a team, or unsure of where to start, you can check out this thread to find out what successful Doubles teams have looked like and what some of these teams have in common. Viewing teambuilding frameworks can also be helpful to notice similarities and differences accross compositions to get a better grasp of building with a particular Pokemon or core or archetype. If you want to contribute feel free to post similarities between successful teams that you've spotted! Your post can be a framework for me to add to the OP, or a comment on an existing framework. Please contribute as much as possible: good discussions are always healthy and welcome on the forums, and it's good practice in team analysis!
As a side note, I've been trying to keep this as updated as possible, which might seem a little hectic but new teams always reveal new ways of building which means new updated frameworks are necessary to keep up with the meta.
General
Mega Kangaskhan
Mega Kangaskhan + Aegislash
Mega Gardevoir
Mega Diancie
Mega Charizard Y + Venusaur
Mega Charizard Y without Venusaur
Azumarill
Mega Gengar
The point of noticing frameworks like this isn't to limit creativity or say "you MUST build this way." this framework catalogue exists as a resource for when you're starting out on a new team to help you take a top level thing and put your own spin on it. - Keith
If you're stuck on where to go next when building a team, or unsure of where to start, you can check out this thread to find out what successful Doubles teams have looked like and what some of these teams have in common. Viewing teambuilding frameworks can also be helpful to notice similarities and differences accross compositions to get a better grasp of building with a particular Pokemon or core or archetype. If you want to contribute feel free to post similarities between successful teams that you've spotted! Your post can be a framework for me to add to the OP, or a comment on an existing framework. Please contribute as much as possible: good discussions are always healthy and welcome on the forums, and it's good practice in team analysis!
As a side note, I've been trying to keep this as updated as possible, which might seem a little hectic but new teams always reveal new ways of building which means new updated frameworks are necessary to keep up with the meta.
General
No matter what kind of team you make, there are certain things that your Doubles OU team needs to have in order to function properly and succeed. Here are some very basic points to go over during team building to help you out! Please note that these are general guidelines.
• 2 Kangaskhan switchins OR 1 switchin and 1 check
• 2 ground immunities OR 1 ground immunity and 1 resist
• 2 Fire resists / Sun Checks
• 2 Water resists
• 1 Rock resist
• 2 Fairy resists (preferably resists Psychic as well)
• 1 Sleep immunity / strong Amoonguss checks
• 1 Kyurem B check, avoid over-reliance on team members that give Kyurem-Black free substitutes (Amoonguss, Rotom-Wash)
• 2 steels checks
• 2 different forms of Trick Room checks (Taunt/Spore/TR user/Strong Dark or Ghost/Fake Out/Substitute user)
• 1 CM Cress check
• 1 check to Azumarill + Amoonguss / Jirachi
• 2 ground immunities OR 1 ground immunity and 1 resist
• 2 Fire resists / Sun Checks
• 2 Water resists
• 1 Rock resist
• 2 Fairy resists (preferably resists Psychic as well)
• 1 Sleep immunity / strong Amoonguss checks
• 1 Kyurem B check, avoid over-reliance on team members that give Kyurem-Black free substitutes (Amoonguss, Rotom-Wash)
• 2 steels checks
• 2 different forms of Trick Room checks (Taunt/Spore/TR user/Strong Dark or Ghost/Fake Out/Substitute user)
• 1 CM Cress check
• 1 check to Azumarill + Amoonguss / Jirachi
Memoric's Tailwind Offense
Stax's Kangaskhan SemiRoom
Qsns' Kangaskhan Hyper Offense
Stratos' Kangaskhan Balance
CheckRoom
1: Kangaskhan
Mega Kangaskhan is practically the face of the doubles meta, presenting a huge threat but also having significant drawbacks, many of which have to be supplemented by its teams. Overall, Kangaskhan teams tend to be more balance-oriented, able to switch in for Kangaskhan in sticky situations (as it lacks Protect and high speed) while dealing with many common threats Kangaskhan hates to pave the way.
2: Aegislash/Jirachi Check, Fire Resist and Sun Check
Kangaskhan often struggles with these steels, as they can play around Kangaskhan's normal methods of hitting opposing Steel-Types. In addition, this slot also functions as a Fire resist and a Talonflame/Sun check to varying degrees of effectiveness.
3: Psychic-Type: Amoonguss, Kyurem-Black, Soft Fighting-Types Check
Amoonguss along with opposing Intimidate represents a serious problem to Kangaskhan, being able to redirect and sleep it and then recover the HP back, cycling itself and Intimidate at the same time. This slot puts a stop to that. In addition, while Kangaskhan itself isn't particularly threatened by Kyurem-Black, its compositions frequently leave it vulnerable to Kyube (LandoT, Thundurus, Heatran, Amoonguss, all common Kangaskhan partners that struggle against Kyurem-Black), necessitating a check to prevent Kyube from subbing and destroying these more balance-centric teams. Fighting types such as Terrakion also heavily threaten the first two slots, and running a Psychic-Type helps as a switchin and a way of KO'ing opposing Fighting-Types.
4: LandoT Switchin/Check, Soft Kangaskhan switchin
Pretty straightforward. Bringing in your Kangaskhan at the same time as opposing LandoT hampers Kangaskhan as it gets Intimidated, softening its damage considerably. These options help to inhibit opposing Landorus-Therian and prevent it from doing too much. Most choices in this slot can switch into opposing Kangaskhan. While suicune takes Kangaskhan on poorly, Memoric's team features Breloom in the 5th slot.
5: Keldeo Killer, Trick Room Check, Soft Rain Check
Keldeo is an obvious high-tier threat to Kangaskhan that can be KO'd by this slot, while it also functions to inhibits Trick Room and Rain to varying degrees of success. It should be noted that most all of these teams can get away with having both Heatran and Landorus-Therian due to Kangaskhan's intrinsically good Rain matchup. Kangaskhan is also relatively good against Trick Room but functions better to support a partner that does well against Trick Room using its own Fake Out, as lacking Protect can hold it back significantly.
6: Mega Diancie Check, Kangaskhan Check
Mega Diancie resists all of Kangaskhan's coverage while Diamond-Storm boosting on it very well, necessitating team members dedicated to dealing with it. Landorus-Therian, Aegislash/Jirachi, and bulky Waters all do this pretty well, though it should be noted that LandoT cannot KO Diancie after a defense boost, while Aegislash is forced to position awkwardly with Stance Change. Opposing Kangaskhan can also present an issue to slower, more balance-oriented teams, so Kangaskhan checks and switchins are vital. Qsns' more offensively focused team uses Jirachi, which is a more active counter to Kangaskhan on the field, helping its frail teammates, whereas teams that are better suited for absorbing hits utilize burn or Intimidate here.
Some notes:
-Steel, Fire, Psychic, Intimidate, are all staples
-Anything that's not FullRoom has a LandoT: helps immensely vs Diancie and opposing Kangaskhan while being very versatile as a pivot.
Memoric's Latios is Tailwind, since he has Breloom which appreciates the Tailwind support. On the other hand, Stratos uses Recover to give more staying power, and also to better function as a Fire resist, while Amoonguss does not benefit from Tailwind support like Breloom does.
Kyurem-Black seems rather unpopular... Rain checks aren't a necessity (one of Kyube's biggest draws) and Kyube has the worst Sun matchup of all the dragons, maybe? Kyube also compounds Fighting-Type weaknesses, to an extent. Hydreigon does the same thing, but Qsns gets away with it by running two Psychic-Types, LandoT, and Talonflame. Hydreigon is also notably better at dealing with opposing Aegislash.
Stax's Kangaskhan SemiRoom
Qsns' Kangaskhan Hyper Offense
Stratos' Kangaskhan Balance
CheckRoom
1: Kangaskhan
Mega Kangaskhan is practically the face of the doubles meta, presenting a huge threat but also having significant drawbacks, many of which have to be supplemented by its teams. Overall, Kangaskhan teams tend to be more balance-oriented, able to switch in for Kangaskhan in sticky situations (as it lacks Protect and high speed) while dealing with many common threats Kangaskhan hates to pave the way.
2: Aegislash/Jirachi Check, Fire Resist and Sun Check
Kangaskhan often struggles with these steels, as they can play around Kangaskhan's normal methods of hitting opposing Steel-Types. In addition, this slot also functions as a Fire resist and a Talonflame/Sun check to varying degrees of effectiveness.
3: Psychic-Type: Amoonguss, Kyurem-Black, Soft Fighting-Types Check
Amoonguss along with opposing Intimidate represents a serious problem to Kangaskhan, being able to redirect and sleep it and then recover the HP back, cycling itself and Intimidate at the same time. This slot puts a stop to that. In addition, while Kangaskhan itself isn't particularly threatened by Kyurem-Black, its compositions frequently leave it vulnerable to Kyube (LandoT, Thundurus, Heatran, Amoonguss, all common Kangaskhan partners that struggle against Kyurem-Black), necessitating a check to prevent Kyube from subbing and destroying these more balance-centric teams. Fighting types such as Terrakion also heavily threaten the first two slots, and running a Psychic-Type helps as a switchin and a way of KO'ing opposing Fighting-Types.
4: LandoT Switchin/Check, Soft Kangaskhan switchin
Pretty straightforward. Bringing in your Kangaskhan at the same time as opposing LandoT hampers Kangaskhan as it gets Intimidated, softening its damage considerably. These options help to inhibit opposing Landorus-Therian and prevent it from doing too much. Most choices in this slot can switch into opposing Kangaskhan. While suicune takes Kangaskhan on poorly, Memoric's team features Breloom in the 5th slot.
5: Keldeo Killer, Trick Room Check, Soft Rain Check
Keldeo is an obvious high-tier threat to Kangaskhan that can be KO'd by this slot, while it also functions to inhibits Trick Room and Rain to varying degrees of success. It should be noted that most all of these teams can get away with having both Heatran and Landorus-Therian due to Kangaskhan's intrinsically good Rain matchup. Kangaskhan is also relatively good against Trick Room but functions better to support a partner that does well against Trick Room using its own Fake Out, as lacking Protect can hold it back significantly.
6: Mega Diancie Check, Kangaskhan Check
Mega Diancie resists all of Kangaskhan's coverage while Diamond-Storm boosting on it very well, necessitating team members dedicated to dealing with it. Landorus-Therian, Aegislash/Jirachi, and bulky Waters all do this pretty well, though it should be noted that LandoT cannot KO Diancie after a defense boost, while Aegislash is forced to position awkwardly with Stance Change. Opposing Kangaskhan can also present an issue to slower, more balance-oriented teams, so Kangaskhan checks and switchins are vital. Qsns' more offensively focused team uses Jirachi, which is a more active counter to Kangaskhan on the field, helping its frail teammates, whereas teams that are better suited for absorbing hits utilize burn or Intimidate here.
Some notes:
-Steel, Fire, Psychic, Intimidate, are all staples
-Anything that's not FullRoom has a LandoT: helps immensely vs Diancie and opposing Kangaskhan while being very versatile as a pivot.
Memoric's Latios is Tailwind, since he has Breloom which appreciates the Tailwind support. On the other hand, Stratos uses Recover to give more staying power, and also to better function as a Fire resist, while Amoonguss does not benefit from Tailwind support like Breloom does.
Kyurem-Black seems rather unpopular... Rain checks aren't a necessity (one of Kyube's biggest draws) and Kyube has the worst Sun matchup of all the dragons, maybe? Kyube also compounds Fighting-Type weaknesses, to an extent. Hydreigon does the same thing, but Qsns gets away with it by running two Psychic-Types, LandoT, and Talonflame. Hydreigon is also notably better at dealing with opposing Aegislash.
Qsns Kangaskhan Tailwind Offense
Memoric Kangaskhan Balance
N10siT Kangaskhan Balance
Braverius Kangaskhan Azumarill Offense
1: Mega Kangaskhan
Mega Kangaskhan is practically the face of the doubles meta, presenting a huge threat but also having significant drawbacks, many of which have to be supplemented by its teams. Overall, Kangaskhan teams tend to be more balance-oriented, able to switch in for Kangaskhan in sticky situations (as it lacks Protect and high speed) while dealing with many common threats Kangaskhan hates to pave the way.
2: Aegislash
So part of the purpose of this frameworks is exploring how running Kangaskhan + Aegislash instead of some other steel (ie Heatran) changes the team-building process. Aegislash provides a strong Faerie-types counter while also beating Trick Room rather handily. In addition, Aegislash's Ghost typing allows it to function as a Fighting-types counter, unlike other Steel-types. On the other hand, Aegislash can make Keldeo more difficult to deal with and also leave a team vulnerable to opposing Fire-types and Sun.
3: Offensive Ground-Type: Thundurus, Steels, Sun Check.
4: Sun Check, Fighting Resist/Keldeo Counter, Ground Immunity
This slot and the next one are both focused on dealing with opposing Keldeo, while slot 4 also beats Mega Charizard-Y. This team member also functions as a Ground immunity for the team's ground type but also against opposing Ground-types. In some sense, slot 4 can be thought of as a "'steels check' check", doing extremely well against traditional counters to Aegislash.
5: Second Fighting Check
Three out of the four options here resist Fighting while Rotom-Wash deals with all Fighting-types rather well (being able to burn physical Fighting-types and use Thunderbolt Keldeo).
6: Water Resist, Heatran/LandoT Check
Some notes on differences from Kangaskhan without Aegislash:
Well the first thing that comes to mind is the lack of a Psychic-type in the other Kangaskhan framework. In addition, Jirachi and Diancie checks aren't as much of a deal due to having Aegislash to deal with both of these threats. On the other hand, Kangaskhan+Aegis tends to cram as many Keldeo checks as it can get its hands on while still having a Fire-type, which almost necessitates Talonflame.
Memoric Kangaskhan Balance
N10siT Kangaskhan Balance
Braverius Kangaskhan Azumarill Offense
1: Mega Kangaskhan
Mega Kangaskhan is practically the face of the doubles meta, presenting a huge threat but also having significant drawbacks, many of which have to be supplemented by its teams. Overall, Kangaskhan teams tend to be more balance-oriented, able to switch in for Kangaskhan in sticky situations (as it lacks Protect and high speed) while dealing with many common threats Kangaskhan hates to pave the way.
2: Aegislash
So part of the purpose of this frameworks is exploring how running Kangaskhan + Aegislash instead of some other steel (ie Heatran) changes the team-building process. Aegislash provides a strong Faerie-types counter while also beating Trick Room rather handily. In addition, Aegislash's Ghost typing allows it to function as a Fighting-types counter, unlike other Steel-types. On the other hand, Aegislash can make Keldeo more difficult to deal with and also leave a team vulnerable to opposing Fire-types and Sun.
3: Offensive Ground-Type: Thundurus, Steels, Sun Check.
4: Sun Check, Fighting Resist/Keldeo Counter, Ground Immunity
This slot and the next one are both focused on dealing with opposing Keldeo, while slot 4 also beats Mega Charizard-Y. This team member also functions as a Ground immunity for the team's ground type but also against opposing Ground-types. In some sense, slot 4 can be thought of as a "'steels check' check", doing extremely well against traditional counters to Aegislash.
5: Second Fighting Check
Three out of the four options here resist Fighting while Rotom-Wash deals with all Fighting-types rather well (being able to burn physical Fighting-types and use Thunderbolt Keldeo).
6: Water Resist, Heatran/LandoT Check
Some notes on differences from Kangaskhan without Aegislash:
Well the first thing that comes to mind is the lack of a Psychic-type in the other Kangaskhan framework. In addition, Jirachi and Diancie checks aren't as much of a deal due to having Aegislash to deal with both of these threats. On the other hand, Kangaskhan+Aegis tends to cram as many Keldeo checks as it can get its hands on while still having a Fire-type, which almost necessitates Talonflame.
Sam Gardevoir Trick Room
Sam Gardevoir Balance
Dawg Gardevoir Trick Room
Sam Gardevoir Rain
1: Mega Gardevoir
Obviously the first step in a successful Mega Gardevoir team is the Gardevoir. The set on Garde can range from Timid Encore to slow, bulky Trick Room setter.
2: Landorus-T / Intimidate
The second slot on the team should be something to compensate for Gardevoir's lack of physical bulk. Landorus-Therian is the most commonly used Intimidate Pokemon here, but Scrafty is a worthwhile choice on some builds.
3: Sun Check / Fires Check
Gardevoir struggles to deal with opposing Fire-types, mandating both resists and threats that can hit those Fire-types such as Charizard-Y or Talonflame.
4: Bulky Talonflame Check / Soft Rain Check
5: Kangaskhan, Diancie, Fairy Check
Gardevoir appreciates having a redirector in order to spam Pixilate Hyper Voice more effectively, so Amoonguss and Jirachi are commonly seen on Gardevoir teams, while also dealing with Kangaskhan and Diancie. Aegislash works well with Gardevoir by switching into Kangaskhan Return.
6: Additional Sweeper that deals with Aegislash/Heatran
Finally, Gardevoir appreciates another means of applying pressure, allowing yourself to control the flow of the match and position yourself properly. In addition to those listed here, Volcanion is a very strong Pokemon in this role on Gardevoir teams.
Teambuilding Checklist
Notes On Building Mega Gardevoir
Gardevoir is a very powerful but needs some support to prevent it from falling to physical attackers and steels. Thus, Intimidate (usually Lando-T) is almost auto-include to start. The best Mega Gardevoir teams tend to run Trick Room but also some way of slowing down opponents (Icy Wind, Thunder Wave). It's crucial to watch for opposing threats like Talonflame, Heatran, and Aegislash, making sure to account for these in team-building.
Sam Gardevoir Balance
Dawg Gardevoir Trick Room
Sam Gardevoir Rain
1: Mega Gardevoir
Obviously the first step in a successful Mega Gardevoir team is the Gardevoir. The set on Garde can range from Timid Encore to slow, bulky Trick Room setter.
2: Landorus-T / Intimidate
The second slot on the team should be something to compensate for Gardevoir's lack of physical bulk. Landorus-Therian is the most commonly used Intimidate Pokemon here, but Scrafty is a worthwhile choice on some builds.
3: Sun Check / Fires Check
Gardevoir struggles to deal with opposing Fire-types, mandating both resists and threats that can hit those Fire-types such as Charizard-Y or Talonflame.
4: Bulky Talonflame Check / Soft Rain Check
5: Kangaskhan, Diancie, Fairy Check
Gardevoir appreciates having a redirector in order to spam Pixilate Hyper Voice more effectively, so Amoonguss and Jirachi are commonly seen on Gardevoir teams, while also dealing with Kangaskhan and Diancie. Aegislash works well with Gardevoir by switching into Kangaskhan Return.
6: Additional Sweeper that deals with Aegislash/Heatran
Finally, Gardevoir appreciates another means of applying pressure, allowing yourself to control the flow of the match and position yourself properly. In addition to those listed here, Volcanion is a very strong Pokemon in this role on Gardevoir teams.
Teambuilding Checklist
- 2 Kang Checks/Counters
- 3 Talon Counters
- 3 soft LandoT Checks
- 2 or more Heatran Checks
- 2 or more Aegislash Checks
- Intimidate
- Steel Type
- Water Type
- At MOST 1 other team member that can't hit Aegislash
Notes On Building Mega Gardevoir
Gardevoir is a very powerful but needs some support to prevent it from falling to physical attackers and steels. Thus, Intimidate (usually Lando-T) is almost auto-include to start. The best Mega Gardevoir teams tend to run Trick Room but also some way of slowing down opponents (Icy Wind, Thunder Wave). It's crucial to watch for opposing threats like Talonflame, Heatran, and Aegislash, making sure to account for these in team-building.
KyleCole Mega Diancie
Deoxys Speed Lol & Checkmater Mega Diancie
Sam Mega Diancie Rain
Vinc2612 Mega Diancie
Stratos Mega Diancie + Volcarona
Nido-Rus Mega Diancie + Volcarona
Mishimono Mega Diancie Offense
1: Diancie
In the current meta, Diancie-Mega is a huge threat. It's got good matchups against the numerous dragons, flying types, and three musketeers along with a great speed tier. However it tends to struggle against top tier threats such as Aegislash and Landorus-Therian, while also having difficulties with bulky Grass types and Water-types in general (especially rain).
2: Fire-type
As Stratos notes, "a strong fire beats almost every single Diancie check" by having good matchups vs bulky steels such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn and filling the role of Amoonguss-killer while also checking sun to a varying degree. Most teams use Talonflame, but other options such as Blaziken and Volcarona function well too. It should be noted that, of the available Fire-Types, Talonflame is probably the most popular due to being the most splashable while also having the best Rain matchup and bringing a Ground Resist. Other Fire-types can work; it's just that these traits make Talonflame a near-staple.
3: Rain Check/Water Resist and Soft Amoonguss Check/Switchin
Grass types, Dragons, or Thundurus all serve as good rain-checks and cover weaknesses to rain. Togekiss functions as a Rain check by possessing Thunder Wave, a heavy deterrent to Swift Swimmers. This slot also helps to beat Amoonguss, though (generally) in a more passive manner.
4: Second Aegis/Jirachi Check
Aegislash and Jirachi are big threats to Diancie-Mega compositions, meriting a second check alongside with the Fire type already included. This is most often fulfilled by Pokemon that can threaten Aegislash with super-effective moves; however, Water-types that, in the case of Keldeo, 2HKO without triggering Weakness Policy, or in the case of Assault Vest Ludicolo and Rotom-Wash, find it easy to switch into Aegislash and absorb its hits, beat Aegislash for Mega Diancie rather handily.
5: Landorus-Therian Check/Counter, Second Rain Check
Since Landorus-Therian can both lower Mega Diancie's Attack and threaten it with Earthquake, a Landorus-Therian check helps alleviate this issue. On these teams, this ranges from Amoonguss to Kyurem-Black or Rain in general to deal with Landorus-Therian. This slot also functions as a second rain check in all the teams.
6: Steel-type: Kangaskhan Check, Grass/Fairy Resist, Trick Room Check
Used to round out Dragon (typically one of the previous slots) Fairy (Diancie) Steel, Bulky Steel types help against Kangaskhan-Mega while also providing a Fairy resist and Grass resist. Aegis, Ferrothorn, and Jirachi each serve to greatly hamper Trick Room's effectiveness and serve as good Trick Room checks.
So the first thing that jumps out immediately is that many Mega Diancie teams use a really simple formula of 2 popular tri-cores that give the team strong defensive synergy (providing resistances for the other members weaknesses) and offensive coverage (several strong attacks of different type): Fairy/Steel/Dragon and Fire/Water/Grass. KyleCole's team doesn't have a Water-Type but it utilizes Kyurem-Black which switches into many of the Pokemon a Water-type would help with.
Deoxys Speed Lol & Checkmater Mega Diancie
Sam Mega Diancie Rain
Vinc2612 Mega Diancie
Stratos Mega Diancie + Volcarona
Nido-Rus Mega Diancie + Volcarona
Mishimono Mega Diancie Offense
1: Diancie
In the current meta, Diancie-Mega is a huge threat. It's got good matchups against the numerous dragons, flying types, and three musketeers along with a great speed tier. However it tends to struggle against top tier threats such as Aegislash and Landorus-Therian, while also having difficulties with bulky Grass types and Water-types in general (especially rain).
2: Fire-type
As Stratos notes, "a strong fire beats almost every single Diancie check" by having good matchups vs bulky steels such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn and filling the role of Amoonguss-killer while also checking sun to a varying degree. Most teams use Talonflame, but other options such as Blaziken and Volcarona function well too. It should be noted that, of the available Fire-Types, Talonflame is probably the most popular due to being the most splashable while also having the best Rain matchup and bringing a Ground Resist. Other Fire-types can work; it's just that these traits make Talonflame a near-staple.
3: Rain Check/Water Resist and Soft Amoonguss Check/Switchin
Grass types, Dragons, or Thundurus all serve as good rain-checks and cover weaknesses to rain. Togekiss functions as a Rain check by possessing Thunder Wave, a heavy deterrent to Swift Swimmers. This slot also helps to beat Amoonguss, though (generally) in a more passive manner.
4: Second Aegis/Jirachi Check
Aegislash and Jirachi are big threats to Diancie-Mega compositions, meriting a second check alongside with the Fire type already included. This is most often fulfilled by Pokemon that can threaten Aegislash with super-effective moves; however, Water-types that, in the case of Keldeo, 2HKO without triggering Weakness Policy, or in the case of Assault Vest Ludicolo and Rotom-Wash, find it easy to switch into Aegislash and absorb its hits, beat Aegislash for Mega Diancie rather handily.
5: Landorus-Therian Check/Counter, Second Rain Check
Since Landorus-Therian can both lower Mega Diancie's Attack and threaten it with Earthquake, a Landorus-Therian check helps alleviate this issue. On these teams, this ranges from Amoonguss to Kyurem-Black or Rain in general to deal with Landorus-Therian. This slot also functions as a second rain check in all the teams.
6: Steel-type: Kangaskhan Check, Grass/Fairy Resist, Trick Room Check
Used to round out Dragon (typically one of the previous slots) Fairy (Diancie) Steel, Bulky Steel types help against Kangaskhan-Mega while also providing a Fairy resist and Grass resist. Aegis, Ferrothorn, and Jirachi each serve to greatly hamper Trick Room's effectiveness and serve as good Trick Room checks.
So the first thing that jumps out immediately is that many Mega Diancie teams use a really simple formula of 2 popular tri-cores that give the team strong defensive synergy (providing resistances for the other members weaknesses) and offensive coverage (several strong attacks of different type): Fairy/Steel/Dragon and Fire/Water/Grass. KyleCole's team doesn't have a Water-Type but it utilizes Kyurem-Black which switches into many of the Pokemon a Water-type would help with.
Stratos Sun
KyleCole/ Mizuhime Sun
Shaian Sun
Mizuhime Sun
Just like the XY sun teambuilding framework, sun gives you a little bit more freedom in where you assign each specific role, as long as you have them. The first 3 slots are fairly obvious on all teams:
While Mizuhimes team only has 2 Ground immune Pokemon to everyone else's 3, the other 3 teams have Landorus-T as one of them, meaning they want 2 more teammates to Earthquake beside.
Picking a steel type is more than just picking your favourite Steel. The teams that used a fighting type Pokemon in the last slot opted for Heatran as the Steel. You can look at this as a decision to compensate for a weakness to Talonflame in the last slot, or the fighting mon alleviating the weakness to Kyurem-B that Heatran adds.
KyleCole/ Mizuhime Sun
Shaian Sun
Mizuhime Sun
Just like the XY sun teambuilding framework, sun gives you a little bit more freedom in where you assign each specific role, as long as you have them. The first 3 slots are fairly obvious on all teams:
- Charizard Y
- Venusaur (in the past this was "fast offensive support grass" but with Skymin banned, Venusaur becomes the best option here)
- Check to Electrics and Heatran. Shaky Kangaskhan switch-in.
- Bulky Electric and/or speed control and/or ground immune with Cresselia serving as an all purpose switch in, and ground immune being made up for in the last slot on Shaians team (Raikou has Thunder Wave and Latios does not have Tailwind). Though less obvious, this slot also serves as a check to Talonflame and Thundurus. The first 3 team choices obviously accomplish this, but the Cresselia actually has Ice beam & Trick Room which stop Thundurus. These two Pokemon are so important to beat because they essentially ignore whatever speed control is being used to boost Charizard (possibly the Pokemon that appreciates Tailwind/TR more than any other).
- Fire Resist / Sun Check / Second Amoonguss killer. While Charizard itself fares rather well against Amoonguss having only 1 check to Amoonguss is a dangerous path. Similarly, Sun teams are hard-pressed to find good Fire resists and checks to opposing Charizard and Heatran, necesitating good partners to deal with these threats.
- Kangaskhan Check. Charizard and Venusaur's inability to handle Kangaskhan require more checks
While Mizuhimes team only has 2 Ground immune Pokemon to everyone else's 3, the other 3 teams have Landorus-T as one of them, meaning they want 2 more teammates to Earthquake beside.
Picking a steel type is more than just picking your favourite Steel. The teams that used a fighting type Pokemon in the last slot opted for Heatran as the Steel. You can look at this as a decision to compensate for a weakness to Talonflame in the last slot, or the fighting mon alleviating the weakness to Kyurem-B that Heatran adds.
MajorBowman's Sun Semiroom
KyleCole's Sun SemiRoom
Biosci Sun SemiRoom
BLOOD TOTEM's Sun Balance
TheFourthChaser's SemiRoom
Slot 1: Fire Dino
Slot 2: Fighting-Type
Help check Kangaskhan and Heatran. All Fighting-Types in this slot also check Thundurus to a degree. Sun Compositions are traditionally weak to these threats so being able to bring a Fighting type (since teams can afford the cost of hurting the Talonflame matchup as they aren't running Venusaur) is one of the first things that sets apart Charizard-Y with and without Venusaur, helping the Kang and Heatran matchups considerably from the onset.
Slot 3: Talon / Sun Check
Running a Fighting along with Zard leaves these teams rather Talonflame-weak, requiring a dedicated Talonflame check. Team members in this slot also deal with opposing Thundurus rather handily. Sun teams also have a habit of struggling to find solid Sun Checks, but not running Venusaur gives more room for more Fire resists.
Slot 4: Check to Dragons and Thundurus
Opposing Dragon-types deal well with Zard's Fire/Grass coverage while also being strong offensive threats that previous team members tend to be shaky on checking. Steel/Fairy types or Pokemon that deal well with Special coverage (Hoopa) or can easily threaten most dragons (Latios, Weavile) greatly help this matchup.
Whiile the previous two slots deal with Thundurus rather handily, the more checks the better. Pokemon in this slot tend to trade well with opposing Thundurus.
Slot 5: Mega Diancie Check / Rock Slide switchin / Kangaskhan switchin
Steel types or Intimidate all fill this role rather nicely, taking Rock-Type coverage easily while also switching into Kangaskhan for team members
Slot 6: Landorus-Therian Check
Pokemon here function to varying degrees of effectiveness against opposing Landorus-Therian, either switching in, forcing it out, or taking its coverage with relative ease. In addition, Blood Totem's Landorus-Therian is actually mixed with Hidden Power Ice, making it an extremely good Landorus-Therian check, despite being Landorus-Therian itself.
No Venusaur Sun Checklist:
-1 Fighting Type
-2 or more Heatran checks
-3 or more Amoonguss killers/counters (including Char Y)
-3 Kangaskhan checks (KyleCole runs both Overheat and HP Ground)
-2 solid checks to opposing Dragons
-Some form of speed control: 4/5 have Trick Room whereas BLOOD TOTEM runs Icy Wind Gengar
-AT LEAST 1 Fire resist/immune (outside of Char Y)
-2 Diancie checks (Totem has Flash Cannon on his Thundurus)
-2 or 3 Landorus-Therian Checks
-1 bulky Steel Type
Some notes on compositions:
Thundurus can used here whereas it isn't with Venusaur because of overlapping status
No Water types besides Volcanion. Seems like halving your damage under sun hurts these waters too much.
4/5 teams are some form of SemiRoom. Something that Venusaur teams struggle to do is have the same kind of flexibility and fluidity that lends Non-Venu Sun the ability to effectively run SemiRoom teams
Teams with both Char Y and Conk still differ heavily, showing there's a lot of options open and diverse possibilities with teams.
The team with only 1 Talon check outside of the first 2 mons has Terrakion, which helps against opposing Talon. The Terrakion team is also the only to feature a grass-type, probably because out of the 3 fighting types used, Terrakion has the best Char Y and Heatran matchup.
All Semiroom teams, to varying degrees, have the ability to bluff not being SemiRoom, possibly catching opponents by surprise.
Analysis on differences from traditional Venusaur Sun:
These teams get to run Fighting-Types, whereas Venusaur teams are hardpressed to do so due to a worsened Talonflame matchup, being forced to run things like Zapdos or Rhydon to alleviate that matchup
All of these teams have very good matchups against FullRoom: being more balance-oriented lets them give hell to Full Trick Room teams even when the screen is purple
While the Heatran matchup can still be a problem, besides a few mons most things on these teams actively prevent Heatran from setting up Substitute
Lacking a Grass type as a Amoonguss switchin means having to run more goggles and more Amoonguss killers, overall
KyleCole's Sun SemiRoom
Biosci Sun SemiRoom
BLOOD TOTEM's Sun Balance
TheFourthChaser's SemiRoom
Slot 1: Fire Dino
Slot 2: Fighting-Type
Help check Kangaskhan and Heatran. All Fighting-Types in this slot also check Thundurus to a degree. Sun Compositions are traditionally weak to these threats so being able to bring a Fighting type (since teams can afford the cost of hurting the Talonflame matchup as they aren't running Venusaur) is one of the first things that sets apart Charizard-Y with and without Venusaur, helping the Kang and Heatran matchups considerably from the onset.
Slot 3: Talon / Sun Check
Running a Fighting along with Zard leaves these teams rather Talonflame-weak, requiring a dedicated Talonflame check. Team members in this slot also deal with opposing Thundurus rather handily. Sun teams also have a habit of struggling to find solid Sun Checks, but not running Venusaur gives more room for more Fire resists.
Slot 4: Check to Dragons and Thundurus
Opposing Dragon-types deal well with Zard's Fire/Grass coverage while also being strong offensive threats that previous team members tend to be shaky on checking. Steel/Fairy types or Pokemon that deal well with Special coverage (Hoopa) or can easily threaten most dragons (Latios, Weavile) greatly help this matchup.
Whiile the previous two slots deal with Thundurus rather handily, the more checks the better. Pokemon in this slot tend to trade well with opposing Thundurus.
Slot 5: Mega Diancie Check / Rock Slide switchin / Kangaskhan switchin
Steel types or Intimidate all fill this role rather nicely, taking Rock-Type coverage easily while also switching into Kangaskhan for team members
Slot 6: Landorus-Therian Check
Pokemon here function to varying degrees of effectiveness against opposing Landorus-Therian, either switching in, forcing it out, or taking its coverage with relative ease. In addition, Blood Totem's Landorus-Therian is actually mixed with Hidden Power Ice, making it an extremely good Landorus-Therian check, despite being Landorus-Therian itself.
No Venusaur Sun Checklist:
-1 Fighting Type
-2 or more Heatran checks
-3 or more Amoonguss killers/counters (including Char Y)
-3 Kangaskhan checks (KyleCole runs both Overheat and HP Ground)
-2 solid checks to opposing Dragons
-Some form of speed control: 4/5 have Trick Room whereas BLOOD TOTEM runs Icy Wind Gengar
-AT LEAST 1 Fire resist/immune (outside of Char Y)
-2 Diancie checks (Totem has Flash Cannon on his Thundurus)
-2 or 3 Landorus-Therian Checks
-1 bulky Steel Type
Some notes on compositions:
Thundurus can used here whereas it isn't with Venusaur because of overlapping status
No Water types besides Volcanion. Seems like halving your damage under sun hurts these waters too much.
4/5 teams are some form of SemiRoom. Something that Venusaur teams struggle to do is have the same kind of flexibility and fluidity that lends Non-Venu Sun the ability to effectively run SemiRoom teams
Teams with both Char Y and Conk still differ heavily, showing there's a lot of options open and diverse possibilities with teams.
The team with only 1 Talon check outside of the first 2 mons has Terrakion, which helps against opposing Talon. The Terrakion team is also the only to feature a grass-type, probably because out of the 3 fighting types used, Terrakion has the best Char Y and Heatran matchup.
All Semiroom teams, to varying degrees, have the ability to bluff not being SemiRoom, possibly catching opponents by surprise.
Analysis on differences from traditional Venusaur Sun:
These teams get to run Fighting-Types, whereas Venusaur teams are hardpressed to do so due to a worsened Talonflame matchup, being forced to run things like Zapdos or Rhydon to alleviate that matchup
All of these teams have very good matchups against FullRoom: being more balance-oriented lets them give hell to Full Trick Room teams even when the screen is purple
While the Heatran matchup can still be a problem, besides a few mons most things on these teams actively prevent Heatran from setting up Substitute
Lacking a Grass type as a Amoonguss switchin means having to run more goggles and more Amoonguss killers, overall
Checkmater's Mega Gengar Bunny Hyper Offense
Braverius' Kangaskhan Bunny
TheTalkingTree's Charizard X Bunny
Laga's Semi-Room Hail Bunny
Fangame10's Full TR Bunny
Slot 1 - A cute bunny.
Slot 2 - Fire Type. Fire types act as blanket checks to many of the things that Azumarill can struggle against. A check to Grass, Steel, and Fairy types is vital to aid Azumarill in pulling off an easier time setting up. Opposing Charizard Y is also very threatening to Azumarill as it both halves Aqua Jet damage and lives a +5 Aqua Jet, so these fire types also function as Sun checks prevent this matchup from being a huge problem.
Slot 3 - Secondary Grass-types / Amoonguss check. Grass Types restrict Amoonguss and directly threaten it from setting up, but thankfully most are easily checked or slow enough that a partnered Fire type can actively prevent this from being a problem.
Slot 4 - Water Resist / Bulky Waters check. Also functions as a Rain check. While it may seem that Azumarill should beat opposing Rain, it will often struggle to find the right time to come in, as even a resisted Hydro Pump severely hurts its sweeping capabilities. Bulky Waters such as Volcanion and Rotom-Wash can also be troublesome for Azumarill, requiring dedicated checks to beat.
Slot 5 - Thundurus / Talonflame check. In most cases this also serves as a Kangaskhan check, or something that comfortably switches into a Kangaskhan Fake Out. While it can be difficult to find proper Talonflame checks that work well with Azumarill all teams sport some kind of damper / inhibition to opposing Talonflames. In the case of Terrakion, it provides Quick Guard and threatens to KO Talonflame with Rock Slide. LandoT brings intimidate and a threatened KO, while Porygon finds Talonflame an easy target to setup Trick Room on while also being able to KO Talonflame with Thunderbolt. Pokemon in this slot generally deal with opposing Thundurus pretty well (especially offensive Thundurus variants).
Slot 6 - 3rd or 4th Kangaskhan check. Mega Kangaskhan is a huge problem for our bunny friend as Kangaskhan threatens to both restrict its maneuverability with Fake Out while also threatening to break it out of Belly Drum range with a Return. While most teams already feature at least 2 Kangaskhan checks, the more the better. Jolly Kangaskhan and Bulky Low Kick Kangaskhan (Braverius' and Yoda's teams respectively) both function as soft checks whereas Keldeo and Mega Gengar are excellent hard stops to Kangaskhan. Jirachi finds it easy to switch into and redirect all of opposing Kangaskhans' attacks.
Interestingly enough I didn't find myself writing "Heatran check" or "Trick Room check" or "Landorus-Therian check" as Azumarill is phenomenal at setting up and destroying against these threats, nullifying the need to cover them with other team members.
A general Azumarill teambuilding checklist includes the following (outside the standard range of threats):
2 Amoonguss/Grass types Checks
1 Rain Check
1 Bulky Steels Check
3 Kangaskhan Checks (Intimidate, Burns, or team members that directly threaten to OHKO Kangaskhan)
1 or more Talonflame checks
At most 1 team member that is OHKOd by Talonflame OR multiple mons that are OHKOd by Talonflame but featuring some form of a Talonflame counter (Laga's team has Rotom-Heat)
At least 1 form of utility that aids in setting up Belly Drum (Fake Out or Redirection)
Some similarities between compositions:
All teams have fire types
All teams have steel types (great synergy with Azumarill's threat coverage and typing)
All teams have redirection, except for Yoda's Full TR
All teams have priority of some form
Every team except for the one with Amoonguss has some kind of speed control. This can be greatly beneficial against more offensive teams and give not-quite-as-offensive Azumarill teams room to breathe
Braverius' Kangaskhan Bunny
TheTalkingTree's Charizard X Bunny
Laga's Semi-Room Hail Bunny
Fangame10's Full TR Bunny
Slot 1 - A cute bunny.
Slot 2 - Fire Type. Fire types act as blanket checks to many of the things that Azumarill can struggle against. A check to Grass, Steel, and Fairy types is vital to aid Azumarill in pulling off an easier time setting up. Opposing Charizard Y is also very threatening to Azumarill as it both halves Aqua Jet damage and lives a +5 Aqua Jet, so these fire types also function as Sun checks prevent this matchup from being a huge problem.
Slot 3 - Secondary Grass-types / Amoonguss check. Grass Types restrict Amoonguss and directly threaten it from setting up, but thankfully most are easily checked or slow enough that a partnered Fire type can actively prevent this from being a problem.
Slot 4 - Water Resist / Bulky Waters check. Also functions as a Rain check. While it may seem that Azumarill should beat opposing Rain, it will often struggle to find the right time to come in, as even a resisted Hydro Pump severely hurts its sweeping capabilities. Bulky Waters such as Volcanion and Rotom-Wash can also be troublesome for Azumarill, requiring dedicated checks to beat.
Slot 5 - Thundurus / Talonflame check. In most cases this also serves as a Kangaskhan check, or something that comfortably switches into a Kangaskhan Fake Out. While it can be difficult to find proper Talonflame checks that work well with Azumarill all teams sport some kind of damper / inhibition to opposing Talonflames. In the case of Terrakion, it provides Quick Guard and threatens to KO Talonflame with Rock Slide. LandoT brings intimidate and a threatened KO, while Porygon finds Talonflame an easy target to setup Trick Room on while also being able to KO Talonflame with Thunderbolt. Pokemon in this slot generally deal with opposing Thundurus pretty well (especially offensive Thundurus variants).
Slot 6 - 3rd or 4th Kangaskhan check. Mega Kangaskhan is a huge problem for our bunny friend as Kangaskhan threatens to both restrict its maneuverability with Fake Out while also threatening to break it out of Belly Drum range with a Return. While most teams already feature at least 2 Kangaskhan checks, the more the better. Jolly Kangaskhan and Bulky Low Kick Kangaskhan (Braverius' and Yoda's teams respectively) both function as soft checks whereas Keldeo and Mega Gengar are excellent hard stops to Kangaskhan. Jirachi finds it easy to switch into and redirect all of opposing Kangaskhans' attacks.
Interestingly enough I didn't find myself writing "Heatran check" or "Trick Room check" or "Landorus-Therian check" as Azumarill is phenomenal at setting up and destroying against these threats, nullifying the need to cover them with other team members.
A general Azumarill teambuilding checklist includes the following (outside the standard range of threats):
2 Amoonguss/Grass types Checks
1 Rain Check
1 Bulky Steels Check
3 Kangaskhan Checks (Intimidate, Burns, or team members that directly threaten to OHKO Kangaskhan)
1 or more Talonflame checks
At most 1 team member that is OHKOd by Talonflame OR multiple mons that are OHKOd by Talonflame but featuring some form of a Talonflame counter (Laga's team has Rotom-Heat)
At least 1 form of utility that aids in setting up Belly Drum (Fake Out or Redirection)
Some similarities between compositions:
All teams have fire types
All teams have steel types (great synergy with Azumarill's threat coverage and typing)
All teams have redirection, except for Yoda's Full TR
All teams have priority of some form
Every team except for the one with Amoonguss has some kind of speed control. This can be greatly beneficial against more offensive teams and give not-quite-as-offensive Azumarill teams room to breathe
Memoric SemiRoom Mega Gengar
Florist Mega Gengar Balance
Blood Totem Mega Gengar Rain Offense
Checkmater Mega Gengar Bunny Hyper Offense
Nido-Rus Balanced Mega Gengar
KyleCole Mega Gengar FullRoom
1: Mega Gengar
Mega Gengar contrasts from other powerhouse megas (Kangaskhan, Charizard Y, Diancie, Gardevoir) in that its main contribution to a team is support and speed, rather than sheer power. In particular, fast Will-O-Wisp combined with Shadow Tag makes Gengar-Mega a potent Kangaskhan Check. In addition, teams utilizing Mega Gengar can lean on it to cover Fairy weakenesses, either letting them skip Steel- or Fire-Types or complement especially Fairy-weak compositions.
2: Water-Type
Strong Waters complement Gengar's weaknesses almost perfectly, beating opposing steels handily while also dealing with Landorus-Therian.
3: Fire Type/Sun Check
So here most teams run a Fire-Type to deal with opposing Sun teams, but Nido-Rus' team already has a Volcanion. While Volcanion can absorb Heat Waves, it's not as good at checking Char Y as other Fires and therefore requires more support to deal with opposing Charizard.
4: Rain Check/Water Resist
Gengar lacks resists to elemental coverage and this includes issues with Rain, so rain checks and rain switchins are important key aspects of Gengar teams. While Cresselia isn't the best at dealing with Rain, it does provide crucial speed control and Memoric's other members (Hydreigon, Ferrothorn) are extremely well adapted to dealing with Rain.
5: Bulky Pivot / Kangaskhan Switchin
Bulky Intimidate/Steels that can pivot are complemented by Mega Gengar's ability to trap physical attackers such as Kangaskhan
6: Steels Check
Both Heatran and Aegislash are rather difficult to deal with for Gengar teams, thus necessitating more checks to these threats
General Teambuilding Checklist:
-Water type
-Fire Type
-At least 2 Sun checks
-3/more Aegislash Checks
-Intimidate
-1-2 Kangaskhan switchins (other than Gengar)
-Every team but the KyleCole's FullRoom team has a Dragon - Gengar deals with opposing Fairy types (including Mega Gardevoir, unlike the other poison type in the meta, Amoonguss) very well
-2/more LandoT hard-stops
-At least 2 T-Wave switchins/Thundurus Checks
Florist Mega Gengar Balance
Blood Totem Mega Gengar Rain Offense
Checkmater Mega Gengar Bunny Hyper Offense
Nido-Rus Balanced Mega Gengar
KyleCole Mega Gengar FullRoom
1: Mega Gengar
Mega Gengar contrasts from other powerhouse megas (Kangaskhan, Charizard Y, Diancie, Gardevoir) in that its main contribution to a team is support and speed, rather than sheer power. In particular, fast Will-O-Wisp combined with Shadow Tag makes Gengar-Mega a potent Kangaskhan Check. In addition, teams utilizing Mega Gengar can lean on it to cover Fairy weakenesses, either letting them skip Steel- or Fire-Types or complement especially Fairy-weak compositions.
2: Water-Type
Strong Waters complement Gengar's weaknesses almost perfectly, beating opposing steels handily while also dealing with Landorus-Therian.
3: Fire Type/Sun Check
So here most teams run a Fire-Type to deal with opposing Sun teams, but Nido-Rus' team already has a Volcanion. While Volcanion can absorb Heat Waves, it's not as good at checking Char Y as other Fires and therefore requires more support to deal with opposing Charizard.
4: Rain Check/Water Resist
Gengar lacks resists to elemental coverage and this includes issues with Rain, so rain checks and rain switchins are important key aspects of Gengar teams. While Cresselia isn't the best at dealing with Rain, it does provide crucial speed control and Memoric's other members (Hydreigon, Ferrothorn) are extremely well adapted to dealing with Rain.
5: Bulky Pivot / Kangaskhan Switchin
Bulky Intimidate/Steels that can pivot are complemented by Mega Gengar's ability to trap physical attackers such as Kangaskhan
6: Steels Check
Both Heatran and Aegislash are rather difficult to deal with for Gengar teams, thus necessitating more checks to these threats
General Teambuilding Checklist:
-Water type
-Fire Type
-At least 2 Sun checks
-3/more Aegislash Checks
-Intimidate
-1-2 Kangaskhan switchins (other than Gengar)
-Every team but the KyleCole's FullRoom team has a Dragon - Gengar deals with opposing Fairy types (including Mega Gardevoir, unlike the other poison type in the meta, Amoonguss) very well
-2/more LandoT hard-stops
-At least 2 T-Wave switchins/Thundurus Checks
The point of noticing frameworks like this isn't to limit creativity or say "you MUST build this way." this framework catalogue exists as a resource for when you're starting out on a new team to help you take a top level thing and put your own spin on it. - Keith
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